In early 2022, I started noticing something strange in Spotifys jazz playlists.I listen to jazz every day, and pay close attention to new releases. But these Spotify playlists were filled with artists Id never heard of before.Who were they? Where did they come from? Did they even exist?In April 2022, I finally felt justified in sharing my concerns with readers. So I published an article here called The Fake Artists Problem Is Much Worse Than You Realize.I was careful not to make accusations I couldnt prove. But I pointed out some puzzling facts.If you want to support my work, please take out a premium subscription (just $6 per month).Many of these artists live in Swedenwhere Spotify has its headquarters. According to one source, a huge amount of streaming music originates from just 20 people, who operate under 500 different names.Some of them were generating supersized numbers. An obscure Swedish jazz musician got more plays than most of the tracks on Jon Batistes We Arewhich had just won the Grammy for Album of the Year (not just the best jazz album, but the best album in any genre).How was that even possible?I continued to make inquiries, and brooded over this strange situation. But something even stranger happened a few months later.A listener noticed that he kept hearing the same track over and over on Spotify. But when he checked the name of the song, it was always different. Even worse, these almost identical tracks were attributed to different artists and composers.He created a playlist, and soon had 49 different versions of this song under various names. The titles sounded as if they had come out of a random text generatoralmost as if the goal was to make them hard to remember. Trumpet BumblefigBumble MistywillWhomping CloverQeazpoorSwiftsparkVattio BudI reported on this odd situation. Others joined in the hunt, and found more versions of the track under still different names. The track itself was boring and non-descript, but it was showing up everywhere on the platform. Around this same time, I started hearing jazz piano playlists on Spotify that disturbed me. Every track sounded like it was played on the same instrument with the exact same touch and tone. Yet the names of the artists were all different.Were these AI generated? Was Spotify doing this to avoid paying royalties to human musicians?Spotify issued a statement in the face of these controversies. But I couldnt find any denial that they were playing games with playlists in order to boost profits.By total coincidence, Spotifys profitability started to improve markedly around this time. A few months ago, I spoke with an editor at one of the largest newspapers in the world. I begged him to put together a team of investigative journalists to get to the bottom of this. You need to send people to Sweden. You need to find sources. You need to find out whats really going on.He wasnt interested in any of that. He just wanted a spicy opinon piece. I declined his invitation to write it.We now finally have the ugly truth on these fake artistsbut no thanks to Spotify. Or to that prestigious newspaper whose editor I petitioned. Instead journalist Liz Pelly has conducted an in-depth investigation, and published her findings in Harpersthey are part of her forthcoming book Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist. Mood Machine will show up in bookstores in January and may finally wake up the music industry to the dangers it faces.Pelly started by knocking on the doors of these mysterious viral artists in Sweden.Guess what? Nobody wanted to talk. At least not at first. But Pelly kept pursuing this story for a year. She convinced former employees to reveal what they knew. She got her hands on internal documents. She read Slack messages from the company. And she slowly put the pieces together. Now she writes:What I uncovered was an elaborate internal program. Spotify, I discovered, not only has partnerships with a web of production companies, which, as one former employee put it, provide Spotify with music we benefited from financially, but also a team of employees working to seed these tracks on playlists across the platform. In doing so, they are effectively working to grow the percentage of total streams of music that is cheaper for the platform. In other words, Spotify has gone to war against musicians and record labels. At Spotify they call this the Perfect Fit Content (PFC) program. Musicians who provide PFC tracks must often give up control of certain royalty rights that, if a track becomes popular, could be highly lucrative.Spotify apparently targeted genres where they could promote passive consumption. They identified situations in which listeners use playlists for background music. Thats why I noticed the fake artists problem first in my jazz listening.According to Pelly, the focal points of PFC were ambient, classical, electronic, jazz, and lo-fi beats.When some employees expressed concerns about this, Spotify managers replied (according to Pellys sources) that listeners wouldnt know the difference.They called it payola in the 1950s. The public learned that radio deejays picked songs for airplay based on cash kickbacks, not musical merit.Music fans got angry and demanded action. In 1959, both the US Senate and House launched investigations. Famous deejay Alan Freed got fired from WABC after refusing to sign a statement claiming that he had never taken bribes.They called it Payola, and people got firedTransactions nowadays are handled more delicatelyand seemingly in full compliance with the laws. Nobody gives Spotify execs an envelope filled with cash.But this is better than payola:On February 7, Spotifys CEO sold 250K shares for $57.5 million.On April 24, Spotifys CEO sold 400K shares for $118.8 million.On November 15, Spotifys CEO sold 75K shares for $35.8 million.On November 20, Spotifys CEO sold 75K shares for $34.8 million.On November 26, Spotifys CEO sold 75K shares for $36.1 million.On December 4, Spotifys CEO sold 75K shares for $37 million.On December 11, Spotifys CEO sold 60K shares for $28.3 million.Deejay Alan Freed couldnt dream of such riches. In fact, nobody in the history of music has made more money than the CEO of Spotify. Taylor Swift doesnt earn that much. Even after fifty years of concertizing, Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger cant match this kind of wealth. At this point, I need to complain about the stupid major record labels who have empowered and supported Spotify during its long history. At some junctures, they have even been shareholders.Ive warned repeatedly that this is a huge mistake. Spotify is their adversary, not their partner. The longer they avoid admitting this to themselves, the worse things will get. The music media isnt much betterthese new revelations came from a freelancer publishing in Harpers, not from Rolling Stone or Billboard or Variety. And I could say the same for the New York Times and Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. Why didnt they investigate this? Why dont they care?But I am grateful for independent journalism, which is now my main hope for the future. Lets turn to the bigger question: What do we do about this?By all means, lets name and shame the perpetrators. But we need more than that.Congress should investigate ethical violations at music streaming businessesjust like they did with payola. Laws must be passed requiring full transparency. Even better, lets prevent huge streaming platforms from promoting songs based on financial incentives.I dont do that as a critic. People sometimes try to offer me money for coverage, and I tell them off. It happened again this week, and I got upset. No honest person could take those payoffs.Streaming platforms ought to have similar standards. And if they wont do it voluntarily, legislators and courts should force their hand.And let me express a futile wish that the major record labels will find a spine. They need to create an alternativeeven if it requires an antitrust exemption from Congress (much like major league sports). Our single best hope is a cooperative streaming platform owned by labels and musicians. Lets reclaim music from the technocrats. They have not proven themselves worthy of our trust. If the music industry leaders havent figured that out by nowespecially after the latest revelationswe are in bad shape indeed.

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A consortium of investors has resurrected Lilium just days after the electric air taxi startup ceased operations and laid off about 1,000 employees.Mobile Uplift Corporation, a company set up by investors from Europe and North America, has agreed to acquire the operating assets of the startups two subsidiaries, Lilium GmbH and Lilium eAircraft GmbH, per an announcement Tuesday. The parent company, Lilium N.V, will not receive any funds in accordance with German insolvency law.Terms of the deal, which are expected to close in January, were not disclosed. Consultancy giant KPMG handled the sale process for Lilium. Mobile Uplift Corporation said in the announcement it intends to rehire workers who were laid off immediately after opening of the proceedings and closing of the transaction. It isnt clear if all 1,000 workers will be rehired.When reached for comment by TechCrunch, Lilium spokesperson Christine Pierk did not provide any new information or answer TechCrunchs questions about the deal.Once the deal closes, the new owners plan to restructure Lilium, allowing the company to exit insolvency with its tech intact and without debt.We are very pleased to announce the signing of an investment agreement with a very experienced consortium of investors, which is a major breakthrough, Lilium CEO Klaus Roewe was quoted in the announcement. Deal closing at the beginning of January will allow us to restart our business.Lilium had raised more than $1 billion from private investors before it went public in 2021 on the Nasdaq Exchange via a reverse merger with a blank-check company, SPAC Qell. Lilium had success landing customers, including an order from Saudi Arabia for 100 electric planes. But the company burned through cash faster than it could raise more from investors as it worked to develop a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft with speeds of up to 100 km/h.Lilium filed for insolvency the U.S. equivalent of bankruptcy in October, after failing to secure emergency funding.

I've used and covered Linux for nearly 30 years. Here's my top pick for my favorite open-source distro in 2024.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsLonger battery lifeMore ways to chargeAn updated lookCustom watch facesA new band attachment mechanismA new era awaitsThe year wraps up in a few more weeks, and 2024 was a pretty good one for Apple in terms of the iPhone 16 and the Apple Watch Series 10.Apple made some big changes with the Apple Watch this year, but that doesnt mean that there isnt room for improvement. Heres what Im hoping to see from the Apple Watch in 2025.Recommended VideosJoe Maring / Digital TrendsThough the Apple Watch has now been around for a decade, unless you get the Apple Watch Ultra model, the battery life hasnt really seen any significant improvements. Typically, Apple just markets it as all-day battery life, which is about 18 hours. On the other hand, the Apple Watch Ultra models get around double that at 36 hours.RelatedI think its long overdue for Apple to make the battery life on the regular Apple Watch Series models last more than a single day. While the Apple Watch Ultras battery life is one of its greatest strengths, Apple could also improve it to be on par with some of the competition.For example, the OnePlus Watch 2 has excellent battery life of three days, or a whopping 12 days in Power Saver mode. Of course, it has its own set of flaws, but that battery life is among the best weve seen so far, especially for Wear OS.It would be incredible if Apple could give us a standard Apple Watch Series that could last even two days, let alone three. And if the standard Apple Watch could see battery improvements, imagine what the Apple Watch Ultra could potentially have.Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsOne issue that applies to many wearables in general, and not just the Apple Watch, is that they all use some kind of proprietary charger. For the Apple Watch, its the magnetic charging puck that comes included with every Apple Watch purchase.Honestly, Im still not sure why we cant just use a MagSafe charger to charge the Apple Watch. If AirPods cases can charge via MagSafe and wireless chargers, why cant the Apple Watch? I would love to use any wireless charger or MagSafe charger to juice up my future Apple Watches rather than still needing a proprietary charging puck.Another alternative is to separate the charging puck from the cable itself. OnePlus did this with the OnePlus Watch 2, and its so much more convenient for travel. Youre likely already traveling with a few USB-C cables anyway, so if the puck were separate, it would be one less cable to worry about. There are ways to make Apple Watch charging more convenient, and I hope Apple takes note of this in 2025.Nirave Gondhia / Digital TrendsOK, I know this may be controversial, but Im tired of the same rounded square shape the Apple Watch has used since its inception. I was hoping that for the Apple Watch Series 10, which is a major milestone, we would get an all-new design. However, we just got a thinner version of the same design weve had for years.Ive also been wearing a Google Pixel Watch 3 for a few weeks, and Ive grown to love the circle shape on a smartwatch. It might not be as practical for viewing information on the watch face, but it definitely looks more classy and elegant, as a timepiece should. And yes, while it may cut off some text with the round bezels, it doesnt matter to me, as I still get the information I need.Again, not everyone may agree with this, but I would like to see Apple change things up with the Apple Watch. The current design is just getting a little boring year after year. Its time for something new.Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsApple has added many of its own Apple Watch watch facesover the years. Many of them are informative, and some of them are more about form over function. But one thing is still missing: custom watch faces.Yes, you can download some third-party apps and use those watch faces, but they dont work the same as the native Apple watch faces. Some just create a fancy image you can use in specific watch faces like the Photos one, or you just open it up as an app and leave it. Its far from being the same as an actual watch face.I know its very unlikely, but I would love to see the ability to create fully custom watch faces on the Apple Watch maybe not in 2025 or 2026, but further down the road even. There are just so many cool designs floating around, and some people can get creative with things like this.It did take Apple 14 years to allow us to start customizing the iPhone home screen, so maybe one day we can get that kind of customization on the Apple Watch.Apple Watch Series 10 (left) and the Apple Watch Series 3 Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsThis is another one thats going to be a bit controversial. After it was heavily rumored that the Apple Watch Series 10 was going to have a magnetic band attachment system, Im disappointed that this didnt come to fruition.I think it would be pretty cool to have a magnetic band system. After all, Apple added MagSafe to the iPhone with the iPhone 12 series, and thats been a huge hit. It took a while for all the various accessories to come out, but now I cant live without MagSafe on my iPhone 16 Pro.Currently, the band attachment mechanism on the Apple Watch involves two small buttons that release the strap when you press it, and it clicks into place when you attach a new band. It mostly works, but Ive had some issues over the years where it can be a bit difficult to remove a strap, or where some third-party options dont fit quite right and end up getting sheared off a bit on the rubber.Id imagine a magnetic system would be much easier for attaching and removing straps, as long as the magnets are strong enough. Another option would be to adapt universal 20mm watch straps, similar to Samsungs Galaxy Watches. This opens up the possibility for many more strap options, though Im not sure if this would work with the current Apple Watch shape.Joe Maring / Digital TrendsThe Apple Watch Series 10 wasnt as groundbreaking as it could have been, but theres no denying that the thinner and lighter form factor was a step in the right direction.I know a few of these are very unlikely, considering that this is Apple were talking about, and may be a pipe dream. However, the battery life and charger aspects arent impossible, and I would love to see Apple make some improvements in that regard.Still, Im excited to see what the next year, even decade, holds for the Apple Watch.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsBroken Man from All Born Screaming St. VincentDrone:Nodrone fromSongs of a Lost World The CureAvalon fromAvalon Roxy MusicIn the Morning of the Magicians fromYoshimi Battles the Pink Robots The Flaming LipsIll admit that as an audio reviewer, I have a tendency to listen to the same collection of songs whenever I review a pair of headphones. Even if theyre a personal pair and Im not reviewing them, Ill give a quick listen through snippets of four or five tracks to get a sense of things like frequency response, soundstage, and detail.Why do I listen to the same songs? For one (or both) of two reasons: Ive become intimately familiar with them over the years, or theyve been recommended to me by other reviewers and in consequence, Ive become intimately familiar with them over the years. But its also good for the mind and the soul to keep things fresh, and with thousands upon thousands of songs being released every year, its worth appreciating and adding new recordings to the mix.Recommended VideosInstead of proclaiming the best songs from 2024 I have instead put together some of my favorites (so far) that I feel are worthy of a listen ones that are available in Dolby Atmos and were released in 2024 (be it a new song or a re-release). Without further adoRelatedBroken Man from All Born Screaming St. VincentSt. VincentOne thing youre guaranteed to get from a new St. Vincent album is a sonically interesting experience that is musically complex and intriguing. All Born Screaming is a perfect example. While it might not be quite as cohesive from track to track as some of St. Vincents previous releases, All Born Screaming artfully explores a variety of emotions and styles that leaves the listener with an air of hopefulness by the end of its final title track.The first single from the album, Broken Man, is an industrial-inspired rage fest that draws on the expertly crafted build of songs like the end of NINs Closer. The bass slowly grow through the first first and chorus, as the second half answer of the musical line slowly fades in to respond to its question. The slow growth of intensity continues through the next verse and chorus with the introduction of Dave Grohls drums, dramatic chordal stabs, and a more desperate vocal into a killer groove of the song a minute and a half in. The remainder brings that groove to another level with layering of thick, crunchy guitar lines, thumping drums, metallic percussion, atmospheric synth and vocals, lead by St. Vincents angry, pleading lyrics of What are you looking at?While the Dolby Atmos mix of Broken Man doesnt get as experimental as some other tracks later on this list, it gives more space to the layering of musical ideas to create a full, but not overcrowded soundscape.Drone:Nodrone fromSongs of a Lost World The CureIts been 16 years since The Cure have released a new studio album, and to say Songs of a Lost World is a triumphant return is an understatement. Its not the same more light-hearted fare of their 80s catalog, instead coming across as a more grown-up look at their own mortality. OnDrone:Nodrone are some familiar sounds from The Cure of old, but everything is turned up to 11, especially with the wailing guitar of Reeves Gabrels, the newest member being featured in his first album with the band even though he joined as a full-time member back in 2012.Theres a lot to listen to here, with the atmospheric effects and guitar distortion coming together within the first few seconds from out wide left and right, before the nearfield is filled with guitar, synth, bass, and drums. The highlight for me is Gabrels wah-wah guitar work on the second half of the track, that weaves through the texture of the band and Robert Smiths vocals.The strength ofDrone:Nodrone lies more in Smiths composition and arrangement than in its Dolby Mix, but its worth a listen on whatever format you have available just to sit back and revel in the return of The Cure.Avalon fromAvalon Roxy MusicIts difficult to choose a single track from Roxy Musics final, and most successful, studio album. Its release this year as a Dolby Atmos album is not its first non-stereo treatment, with the 20th anniversary 5.1 SACD being considered by many to be one of the best examples of multichannel music mixing. Some might question why to even go back and attempt an Atmos version, but with this release it was worth it. Producer Rhett Davies and mixer Bob Clearmountain succeeded in creating another excellent mix of the iconic album. An interesting tidbit revealed to Jonathan Cornell at immersiveaudioalbum.com is that the tracks used for the Atmos remix were from 96kHz/24-bit high-resolution digital transfers from the original analog multitrack tapes.There isnt a lot of movement on title track, instead allowing the instruments to generally sit and own their space. The multiple guitar tracks have some back and forth interaction across the soundfield, while backing vocals soar in the back left while playing off the sax solo to the back right for the second half of the track. Its the perfect track to close your eyes and feel the music around you.In the Morning of the Magicians fromYoshimi Battles the Pink Robots The Flaming LipsIll fully admit that when my wife, then girlfriend, introduced me toYoshimi soon after it was released in 2002, I was confused. Did I love it? Did I hate it? I honestly didnt know. Give it a couple more listens, she said, and boy am I glad she did. Within a week it was in regular rotation as I commuted through LA traffic from my apartment in Burbank to the USC campus.Released in November 2024, the Dolby Atmos mix of the album is wild. The Flaming Lips are experimental in all facets of music and performance, and that extends into the Atmos mix. Synths circle around your head, crowd noise spreads and dissipates, Wayne Coynes lead vocals spend a lot of time in the back left channel, drums fly through the air its enveloping and at times disorienting. But theres no question it uses Atmos to its fullest.In the Morning of the Magicians begins with the synth orbiting the space before the bass and drums enter to fill in around you with vocals sound effects popping in to the left and right at different heights. Its all followed by the acoustic guitar and lead vocals coming in from the back left before beginning their own journey around, eventually supported by electrics guitars from the sides and deep oohs and aahs filling things out. A similar treatment happens as the second verse begins with some more atmospheric sounds along for the ride.Do I love it? Do I hate it? I think its accurate to say Im fascinated by it. If you want to hear the potentials of Dolby Atmos music, The Flaming Lips have delivered an excellent example. Id expect nothing less from them.Editors Recommendations

"The Odyssey" will likely have cast of stars.Zendaya and Tom Holland will star together in the film. David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage Outlets have reported in October and November before it was public what the film would be that several A-listers were in the frame for Nolan's next project.Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter said, citing unnamed sources, that Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway, who starred in Nolan's "Interstellar," would feature.Hathaway confirmed the casting when speaking to Women's Wear Daily in early December."I have so many feelings about it that I don't even know how to articulate. It fills me with so much joy, and I don't know how to talk about it," she said. "I love Chris and Emma Nolan so much, and to be invited into their world is, I mean, I know from experience it's one of the best places you can find yourself. Getting to be invited twice really felt like something, three felt like it would've been greedy, so I never let myself hope that that would happen, and that it has makes me emotional, to be perfectly honest. It makes me feel like I'm doing something right."Nobody has said which role Hathaway or any of the actors might play.Penelope, Odysseus' wife, is the most significant woman in the source material, along with Athena, the goddess of wisdom who watches over Odysseus.Deadline and THR also reported, citing unnamed sources, that another Nolan veteran, Robert Pattinson, who starred in "Tenet," will also star in the film.The publications also said Zendaya, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong'o, and Charlize Theron would be in the cast.Major characters include Odysseus himself, the legendarily cunning hero, as well as his son Telemachus, the beguiling witch Circe, the monstrous one-eyed cyclops, and Poseidon, the sea god who wants Odysseus to suffer.On December 18, Holland said on an episode of the "Dish" podcast that he is in the film but doesn't "know anything about" the plot, which was at the time a secret."I'm super excited. Everything is very hush-hush. I met with him it was awesome. He kind of loosely pitched what it was, and I'm sure when he's ready, he'll announce what it is," he said.He seemed to confirm that Pattinson, Zendaya, and Damon would be part of the cast with him.This would be the first film Zendaya and Holland had worked together on since 2021's "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

'Business development' has become a coveted role at hedge funds amid the war to recruit top PMs.Citadel BD ace Matthew Giannini joining Walleye was one of the most noteworthy moves of 2024.Hedge funds hired dozens in BD in 2024 BI tracked the names of more than 40 who joined top firms.One of the most intriguing hedge-fund personnel moves in 2024 came late in the year. It wasn't a superstar portfolio manager nor another big bank executive migrating to the buy side.It was someone with barely any media profile at all: Matthew Giannini, a senior leader in Citadel's business development unit, whom Walleye Capital hired in October as COO of its long-short equities business.The move, from the industry's $66 billion killer whale to a comparatively much smaller fish, surprised several industry insiders BI spoke with at the time, underscoring the continued demand for the niche role of vetting and wooing investment professionals.Business Insider wrote in May about the evolution of the "business development" role, which has grown into a coveted specialty amid the boom in multimanager hedge funds. These firms, prized by investors for robust returns uncorrelated with the stock market, have added $200 billion in assets since 2019. Hiring has followed suit headcount since then soared 90% at multimanagers compared with just 6% at other hedge funds provoking a talent war that has been one of the industry's defining themes and challenges over the past few years.Even though total assets managed by these firms declined in 2024 for the first time in seven years (some investors pulled money amid growing costs paired with lackluster returns in 2023), "the war for talent appears to be continuing unabated," Goldman Sachs' prime services team observed in a September report on multimanager hedge funds. These roughly 50 firms added 2,400 new employees in the previous 12 months, Goldman found, a 15% increase. Hiring at multimanager hedge funds has far outpaced the rest of the industry. Goldman Sachs Prime Services Business development was no exception, with dozens of hires by top hedge funds 2024, according to industry sources, LinkedIn bios, and publicly reported moves.Millennium, the largest multimanager with $72.1 billion in assets under management and more than 6,000 employees, hired at least 10 people in BD in 2024, BI's analysis shows. Balyasny, which has spent hundreds of millions hiring PMs this year, added at least six new BD executives to facilitate hiring this year, including three managing directors most recently commodities specialist David O'Connor, who joined in November from external search firm Maven.Citadel has been hiring as well, adding a handful of people to one of the most revered BD units in the industry. The hedge fund last year became the most profitable of all time, something founder and CEO Ken Griffin attributes in part to an "unparalleled" ability to "recruit experienced professionals to Citadel" and "tremendous success attracting gifted graduates from the premier colleges and universities." Unsurprisingly, Griffin's talent whisperers are highly sought after.Perhaps none has more gravitas than Giannini. Several industry professionals who know him say he's tall, charismatic, intelligent, and deft at winning over PMs someone who provides an actual edge in an industry desperate for it. When Giannini left Balyasny in 2018 to rejoin Citadel, it contributed to a turf war between the funds."Matt is, if not the best, one of the best closers I've ever met," a BD professional told BI earlier this year.Leaving Citadel for Walleye may raise some eyebrows, but joining Walleye offers a potentially lucrative upside for Giannini compared with a typical BD role. Business group heads at these funds usually take home a cut of their unit's profits, and while Walleye struggled in 2023 it has been executing an overhaul the past year that's bearing fruit. The fund is up 15.4% through November, putting it near the top of its peer group for 2024.He also joins some familiar faces at Walleye, including Thomas DeAngelis, company president and another ex-Citadel BD leader, and Anil Gondi, a long-time PM who joined from Balyasny this summer and will oversee the long-short equities division with Giannini. The pair overlapped at Balyasny in the 2010s.Giannini's hiring and the dozens of others at top funds in 2024 signals that the burning demand for investment talent, and those gifted in recruiting it, won't likely dim any time soon."One clear theme from our conversations with multimanagers was that the 'war for talent' synonymous with this segment has not seen any material de-escalation in the last year," Goldman Sachs said in its report.Business Insider has tracked business development professionals who joined top funds in 2024, according to industry sources, LinkedIn bios, and publicly reported moves. This list isn't exhaustive, and we may update it as we learn more.Nicole AmenDRWDaniel AnzaloneBlueCrestHarry CaseVeritionDavid MatzSmith HanleyDavid O'ConnorMaven SearchKelly SuterIMCJosh BealsChi-Rho FinancialGrace GuoGoldman SachsBrian HopkinsHudson BayTrystan Davies-TommasonThe Omerta GroupDonata LeonovaMillenniumOlivia ReesGoldsmith & CoHannah RosenthalGoogleMichelle TsangTwo SigmaRuvhen ChinaireThe Omerta GroupChris HarnettCitadelChristopher AldacoD.E. ShawBrittany LynchSchonfeldDanielle GreenburgMaven Investment PartnersChris PadfieldCitadelMelissa BosemMillenniumMaureen ChangPoint72Derek ChiangSelby JenningsSarka DilingerovaExecuzenKatie GordonCybernetic SearchBrian KimmelCitadelLauren KrausGarda CapitalTerence LeeBlackstoneSteven RosenMorgan Stanley Investment ManagementNatalia SkrzeczkowskaDartmouth PartnersStella XuanTenere CapitalKristin CohenWalleyeJoe BeachAksiaLauren CroucherDartmouth PartnersNicole DengUBSCaroline KadhimBrevan HowardRobert FeatherstoneCitadelAdam DonaldsonMarble Bar Asset ManagementStephanie MelendezSchonfeldCarling DiGiacomoCitadelMatthew GianniniCitadelJen PascalNeuberger BermanMaureen ReedGoldman Sachs

Ryan SeacrestRyan Seacrest. Steve Granitz / Contributor / Getty Images On December 24, Ryan Seacrest will turn 50.Two years ago, Seacrest celebrated his birthday with a family gathering and playing games with balloon animals, according to Instagram. Ricky MartinRicky Martin. Brendon Thorne/Getty Ricky Martin's 53rd birthday is on December 24, 2024.To get into the Christmas spirit, Martin voiced a character in the Netflix holiday film "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey." Dr. Anthony FauciDr. Anthony Fauci. Al Drago/Getty Images The most famous expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, will turn 84 on Christmas Eve.Fauci was born on December 24, 1940 and while he might not have been a huge celebrity for the first seven decades of his life, Decade No. 8 is shaping up to be his busiest ever. Louis TomlinsonLouis Tomlinson. Vivien Killilea/GettyImages Louis Tomlinson's 33rd birthday is on Christmas Eve.Tomlinson is the oldest member of One Direction, and the oldest of seven siblings. Jimmy BuffettJimmy Buffett. Getty Jimmy Buffett would have celebrated his 78th birthday on December 25, 2024.Buffett died in September 2023at the age of 76.Of the many,many,albums Buffett released over his decadeslong career, he put out two Christmas albums: 1996's "Christmas Island" and 2016's "'Tis the SeaSon." Stephenie MeyerStephenie Meyer. Amanda Edwards/WireImage/Getty Images "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer will celebrate her 51st birthday on Christmas Eve.In 2020, Meyer released the eighth installment in the "Twilight" saga, "Midnight Sun," a re-telling of the first "Twilight" book from Edward's perspective. Lee DanielsLee Daniels. Noam Galai/Getty Images for TIME Lee Daniels turns the big 6-5 on December 24 this year.The Oscar-nominated director is celebrating his 65th birthday this year, 19 years after his directorial debut, "Shadowboxer." Barbara MandrellBarbara Mandrell. Mark Humphery/ AP Barbara Mandrell's 76th birthday is this Christmas Day.The iconic country singer released a Christmas album in 1984, "Christmas at Our House." Jeremy StrongJeremy Strong. Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images Jeremy Strong was born 46 years ago on Christmas Day, 1978.The "Succession" star has a few things to celebrate this year. He's been receiving awards buzz for his performance as Roy Cohn in "The Apprentice" and won a Tony for his role in "An Enemy of the People." Sissy SpacekSissy Spacek. AP Sissy Spacek's 75th birthday is on Christmas Day.The Oscar winner starred in the 2008 Christmas rom-com "Four Christmases." Justin TrudeauPrime Minister Justin Trudeau. Associated Press On December 25, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau turns 53.At 43 years old, Trudeau was the second-youngest prime minister in Canadian history when he was elected in November 2015. DidoDido. Kieran Doherty/AP Images Dido will also turn 53 on Christmas Day this year.The British singer takes a page out of Paddington Bear's book to celebrate her birthday since Christmas is already a holiday, she celebrates her birthday on June 25, according to The Guardian. Annie LennoxAnnie Lennox. Vera Anderson/WireImage/Getty Images Annie Lennox's 70th birthday is on Christmas Day.The "Walking on Broken Glass" singer released her first and only Christmas album, "A Christmas Cornucopia," in 2010. Helena ChristensenHelena Christensen. Jason Mendez/Invision/AP Danish supermodel Helena Christensen will turn 56 on December 25, 2024.Christensen first gained mainstream recognition 35 years ago when she starred in the music video for Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game."

By Cheryl Eddy Published December 24, 2024 | Comments (0) | Harkonnen family dynamics: little sister Tula (Olivia Williams) sits beneath her looming big sister Valya (Emily Watson). HBO Dune: Prophecy ended its first season with an epic, 80-minute episode that didnt exactly tie up any of its storylines, including its central mystery about who or what is using forbidden technology to create bio-weapons on Arrakis. So its good that the HBO series, a prequel set 10,000 years before the Denis Villeneuve films, will be returning in the future. At a press conference timed to the season one finale, The High-Handed Enemy, Dune: Prophecys showrunner and executive producer Alison Schapker, along with stars Emily Watson (Valya Harkonnen) and Olivia Williams (Tula Harkonnen), mostly talked about season onebut they did tease a tiny bit about whats coming. Speaking about how the series paced itself across six episodes, considering its scope and number of characters, Schapker said the team stuck to one guiding rule: to give each episode its own identity. HBO But at the same time, she added, it was important to feel like things had changed and that the characters had undergone something that had shifted the story going forward. And it was very important to always understand Valyas through line and Desmonds story and Tulas story. I would say they were our main characters. But it was then a matter of trying to introduce everyoneand its a big world and its a dense world. So it was a bit of a balancing act. But Im really pleased with how the six episodes build and culminate in the finale. As for where she wanted to leave things at the end of season one, Schapker said, I wanted to feel like the ground had really shifted beneath their feet by the end of the season, but at the same time that we would have revelations that would make us understand these characters and their dynamics differently, and that there would be a kind of re-contextualizing of the story. So that by the time you had watched the whole story, you would understand, Oh, there was more going on than I first realized, which I think is in keeping with kind of the way that the Sisterhood worksthe sense that theres plans within plans, that theres more to the story than you see the first time around. By the end of season one, I think you have a real sense of the history of [the Harkonnen] sisters, the history of the Sisterhood, and then a real revelation, a truth coming out. And that was important to me, that fundamental shift in the dynamics. HBO Asked about the state of mind of their characters at the end of season one, both Watson and Williams were reflective. I think everything [has changed between them], Watson said. But I think Valya is still holding on to [her idea that] I am the chosen one. I have a destiny. [Thats still] her guide through this. But Id be very curious to know what happens next.Added Williams, I think the huge thing for Tula its the moment when [she says] Please dont kill my son. Trust me, Ive got this. And the fact that [Valya] does trust me and [leaves her with Desmond], little knowing that shortly afterwards my son has me arrested[its] that moment between the sisters where finally Tula is entrusted with something, when all these years shes known that she is highly capable and highly effective and has been treated as the lesser sister. Sometimes people of that character like to stay in the shadows, and it will be interesting to see what happens if she is pushed farther to the front and whether she can handle it. Schapker built on that. I love that idea of what youre saying: in some ways the sisters exchange [places] in the sense of Valya does retreat to the shadows, and Tula is suddenly out front in the capital, and what thats going to mean to them going forward, she said. But I also think like any secret that comes out, the longer you keep it, the pain around it needs to be metabolized it makes you have to rethink your relationship going back over the years of like, how did I miss something? HBO Watson added, I think its also a humiliating moment because everything [my character has] done has been based on my leadership, my sense of truth. But in a way, Valya doesnt do humiliation. Its like Im not going to do the emotions and Im fearless, so Im just going to carry on. Asked probably the biggest question remaining after season onewho was behind Desmonds transformation?Schapker remained vague on any potential season two spoilers. [If you] look back over season one, there are clues to Desmonds identity and his power and kind of where it all comes from, she said. As far as sort of shadowy figures [seen controlling his fate in his visions], I think that remains to be seen in the future. But, we try to seed it inI dont know if people notice, but the cloth hes carrying the first time we see him, when Desmond Hart appears and salutes and walks up to the palace, hes got this black cloth. That is really his sort of token of his mother, and [it reappears] through the whole series. He uses it in private moments as a [way to keep] alive sort of his drive and his connection. Finally he meets her and is clutching her actual dress, and realizing kind of what once was a piece of his baby blanket that she swaddled him in [is[ Sisterhood cloth that hes held on to. And now hes finally with his mother. I mean, we tried to do things like that to kind of build in and foreshadow where the story was going.Ok, but what about the second biggest question: whats going to happen now that Valya Harkonnen, Keiran Atreides, and Princess Ynez are on Arrakis? Heres Schapker with, as expected, some hints but not many details. After a season of Arrakis kind of exerting its pull from afarwhether thats in the economics of the spice trade, or the psychological aspects of the visions and nightmares that are sort of imagery of Arrakis and Desmonds path seeping into everyones consciousness[it was our chance] to actually go and put boots on the ground at this incredibly overdetermined and sort of almost mythic Dune space that we know very well but we sort of kept it a distance the whole season. I think its very significant that Valya is back there, and shes back at the origin point of Desmond, where he emerged from with a story and a myth: Im from Arrakis and I was swallowed by a worm aAnd I survived after my whole regiment was killed. All I would say is I think Valya is going to find out a lot more given that she is where Desmond emerged as an adversary, and itll be interesting to see what she finds out there. HBO Indeed it will! You can watch Dune: Prophecy season one on HBO and Max; season two is coming but does not yet have a release date. Want more io9 news? 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